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| Hijack Signal From Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 London to NY |
| 2005-06-03 |
| WASHINGTON — Canadian fighter jets are scrambling to intercept a Virgin Atlantic flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport that is sending out a hijack code, FOX News has confirmed. Virgin Atlantic Flight 45 has been diverted to New Brunswick, Canada. According to the Virgin Atlantic Web site, the flight departed London at 9:35 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive at JFK at 12:12 p.m. EDT. Contact has been made by the pilot, who says everything is fine, U.S. homeland security officials said, yet the flight continues to issue the hijack code, 7500. Stuck button, or something else? |
| Posted by:Laurence of the Rats |
| #12 I'm generally in favor of arming pilots, but if this one can't properly set an IFF code there's no way he should be trusted with a gun, (or for that matter an airplane). Could this have been a test (as in a probe) of how we would react? Dave, I dunno. I imagine (if this had been real and the pilot was under stress) it would've taken a LOT longer to dial in the right code (4 different number wheels) than it would be to cap a jihadi. I'd still rather have the pilot armed. |
| Posted by: BA 2005-06-03 14:19 |
| #11 "but I also thought at least some commercial planes were now equipped with an instant button that triggered the transponder code electronically." I've heard of several proposals for such "panic buttons" including one to auto land the aircraft in "safe" mode, but unlike (say) cockpit door proposals, I've yet to hear of any real world implementation of the panic button idea. |
| Posted by: Dave 2005-06-03 13:16 |
| #10 CNN reports that Virgin says it was a mechanical error with the transponder. |
| Posted by: rkb 2005-06-03 12:54 |
| #9 Dave, I'm familiar with the older transponder rotary settings, but I also thought at least some commercial planes were now equipped with an instant button that triggered the transponder code electronically. |
| Posted by: rkb 2005-06-03 12:44 |
| #8 Having just looked it up, the hijack code is 7500. Like all (IFF) transponder codes it is set using 4 octal switches, with each having positions 0-7. The first switch must be set to 7, the second to 5, and the third and forth each to 0. I'm generally in favor of arming pilots, but if this one can't properly set an IFF code there's no way he should be trusted with a gun, (or for that matter an airplane). Could this have been a test (as in a probe) of how we would react? |
| Posted by: Dave 2005-06-03 12:42 |
| #7 Could be a programming or electronic error in the Airbus transponder. Or not. Isn't there also a hidden emergency switch/button for this similar to the ones on buses etc? |
| Posted by: too true 2005-06-03 12:25 |
| #6 How do you MISTAKENLY dial in a hyjack transponder code??? Back in the day you needed 4 individual thumbwheel switches. Code 7777 or sumthin. Not easy to do accidently. |
| Posted by: Dave 2005-06-03 12:20 |
| #5 Canada has an air force? Allahu Akbar (or something like that). |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-06-03 11:50 |
| #4 "Error, error......faul-ty...." -- Nomad (The Changeling) |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-06-03 11:28 |
| #3 Matt Drudge reports it was an error too, but his article says the plane is still broadcasting the highjack signal. Hmm... |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2005-06-03 11:02 |
| #2 BBC reports signal was error. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-06-03 10:56 |
| #1 Looks like mine's a duplicate posting of this story. Sorry. |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2005-06-03 10:52 |